As India prepares for the first Test of the India vs Bangladesh series, all eyes are on Virat Kohli. Set to take place on September 19 in Chennai, this match could mark another milestone in Kohli’s illustrious career as he nears breaking another record held by cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar.
Kohli is just 58 runs away from surpassing Tendulkar’s record for being the fastest player to reach 27,000 international runs. Tendulkar achieved this feat in 623 innings (226 in Tests, 396 in ODIs, and 1 in T20Is). In comparison, Kohli has already accumulated 26,942 runs in just 591 innings across formats, positioning him to break the record in significantly fewer matches.
Despite Kohli’s insistence that Tendulkar remains unmatched, the two have frequently been compared throughout Kohli’s career. In terms of centuries, Kohli currently trails Tendulkar’s 100 international centuries, with 80 to his name.
With Kohli having retired from T20 internationals, fans are keen to witness the 35-year-old superstar continue to shine in the latter stages of his career. Should Kohli score 58 more runs within his next eight innings, he will not only surpass Tendulkar’s record but also become the first player in the 147-year history of international cricket to reach 27,000 runs in fewer than 600 innings.
Aside from Tendulkar, only two other players—Australia’s Ricky Ponting and Sri Lanka’s Kumar Sangakkara—have crossed the 27,000-run mark in international cricket.